Emilie Bridon

Title: Senior digital marketing manager-Surface Company: Microsoft Corp. Years in current job: less than 1
Emilie Bridon built an online community in anticipation of last year's Microsoft SQL Server launch, generating so much enthusiasm for the virtual event that the volume of first-day traffic briefly broke the platform.
In December, Microsoft Corp. tapped her to build a digital strategy for another newcomer, the Surface tablet device. Bridon manages surface.com, as well as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube assets. “Our goal is to help the community become a community, to engage with them and provide value to those who are researching the device and those who already have a device,” she said.
Bridon is focusing on content marketing, rolling out a 10-video series that explores the ways people use their Surface devices. The initial installment, which features a professional skateboarder and journalist, netted 196,000 views on YouTube in the first two months after it debuted.
“It's really important for us to drive the educational piece home,” Bridon said.
Simple infographics that provide tips about using the Surface have performed well on social media channels and will continue to be part of the content mix, Bridon said. The community shares the images, which explain how to perform simple tasks.
The surface.com site will continue to evolve, Bridon said. “We need to make sure that the channels are integrated, and the digital levers have the same look and feel. Whether we're doing campaign landing environments, virtual events [or] events on site, everything end-to-end will digitally map together back to the one brand.”